Was King George V euthanised?

Professor Bryant has not adequately explored the nuances of the death of King George V (Letters, 20 March). It is misleading to say that the royal family at the time were unaware of the nature of his death. read more

George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. Born during the reign of his grandmother Queen Victoria, George was third in the line of succession behind his father, the Prince of Wales, and his own elder brother, Prince Albert Victor. read more

'In my opinion the King was murdered by Dawson,'' said Kenneth Rose, a biographer of George V, who said he was ''appalled'' by the news. read more

What in fact happened was that Queen Mary and her son, soon to be Edward VIII, explicitly told the king’s physician, Lord Dawson, that they did not want King George’s life needlessly prolonged if his condition was fatal. read more

George V led what might be described as a dull lifestyle and was sickly for much of his reign. It was no great shock when he passed away, but 50 years later, a secret diary revealed that he hadn’t died of natural causes, but had been euthanized by his doctor. read more